1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to collapsible packaging such as cartons and the like which are generally formed from blanks formed from a substantially rigid sheet material whereby the blanks are folded to form a carton.
2. The Relevant Technology
The cartons to which the invention relates are used in a wide variety of circumstances and one particular example of the application of the cartons relates to the forms of packaging used with take-away food items. It is a common characteristic of such cartons that they are not capable of accommodating liquid contents without the utilisation of a supplementary containment means. As a result, in the event of any spillage within the carton the liquid contents of the carton will leak and can create an undesirable circumstance for customers.
In the past, attempts have been made to provide cartons which can to some degree overcome this problem. One example of such a carton is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,471,904 which provides a carton whereby the floor is held in a raised position from the lower limit of the carton. However, in order for the carton to be foldable there is no closed junction between the floor panel and the end and side panels. As a result, there is still the likelihood of leakage therebetween. A further example comprises that which is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,430,755. However, the carton disclosed in that specification is not one that which is capable of being folded and providing a closed junction between the floor and the side panels.
It is desirable to provide a carton which when assembled from a blank can be folded to lie in a substantially flat condition and which can be readily unfolded into an erect condition whereby when in the erect condition no further action or containment means need be provided in order to prevent the leakage of the contents of the carton escaping from the base of the carton.